Ypres

Flemish gem Ypres is nestled in Belgium’s southwest corner, surrounded by the battlefields of the Ypres Salient. Historically a bustling hub boasting an established cloth trade, Ypres cemented its place in modern history after it was all but destroyed in the bitter conflict of World War II. Now quite wonderfully reconstructed, gems such as the UNESCO-listed Cloth Hall still hark back to its past. Visit the nearby Tyne Cot Cemetery or attend a poignant ceremony at the neoclassical Menin Gate. The ‘Last Post’ has been sounded here every evening in peacetime since 1928 in honor of the 300,000 allied soldiers who lost their lives in the area.